In 2010, the Indian government had declared 43 industrial clusters across the country as ‘critically polluted’. This list was based on a Comprehensive Environmental Pollution Index (CEPI) created by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

What makes a city a city, apart from its people? Local architecture and building material, urban design, the mobility infrastructure all come together to make it conducive to 'good living'. What are the essentials then, which need to be taken care of while accommodating the modern demands of designing and retrofitting our urban space?

India’s sheer variety finds an echo in its diverse ecosystems from the barren cold deserts of Ladakh to the heat-swept dunes of the Thar, from the 7,000-odd kilometres of coastlines to the dense green cover of the Western Ghats. Most of these ecosystems are extremely fragile, buffeted as they are by direct human intervention as well as the vagaries wrought by a changing climate.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) 2011 report on renewable energy sources and climate change mitigation, 85 per cent of current primary energy driving global economies comes from the combustion of fossil fuels.

These fuels account for 56.6 per cent of all anthropogenic GHG emissions in the world. In 2007, energy generation accounted for 58 per cent of India's net GHG emissions. Use of renewable energy sources — such as sun and wind – could, thus, play a role in mitigating climate change and its impacts.

While we all agree that climate change is for real, there is actually limited reliable information available on how and where its impacts are being felt the most.

Extreme weather events such as cloud burst, cyclones, floods etc are being reported as more intense and frequent world over, and the number of casualties and losses are ever on the rise. Though mitigation and adaptation is on the world's agenda, the local have to fend for themselves.

Good news: Celebrating success stories in managing lives, livelihoods and the environment

This fellowship is supported by Jamsetji Tata Trust

Environmental reportage has evolved from being disaster reportage to much more; but truly heart-warming stories – good news, literally – are still a rarity. Bring us tales of people, places, programmes and policies that have helped make a difference.

In 2009-10, 51 tigers were killed in India, in spite of all the conservation programmes, awareness drives and public campaigns to save them. India hosts the majority of the world’s tiger population -- about 1,700 tigers, according to the May 2011 census.

After land, our water bodies are now facing tremendous stress: industries, urban 'development', increasing population, imperfect legislation... scores of wetlands, lakes, rivers and waterways are threatened by such projects and pressures.

Millions of people are linked to forests, some derive their livelihoods from them, others call them home. The forests, however, are subjected to continuous exploitation due to varied reasons beyond the realm of sustenance, rendering the forest dwellers most vulnerable.

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What makes a city a city, apart from its people? Local architecture and building material, urban design, the mobility infrastructure all come together to make it conducive to 'good living'. What are the essentials then, which need to be taken care of while accommodating the modern demands of designing and retrofitting our urban space?

India’s sheer variety finds an echo in its diverse ecosystems from the barren cold deserts of Ladakh to the heat-swept dunes of the Thar, from the 7,000-odd kilometres of coastlines to the dense green cover of the Western Ghats. Most of these ecosystems are extremely fragile, buffeted as they are by direct human intervention as well as the vagaries wrought by a changing climate.

The seven year scheme had a whopping Rs 100,000 crore in its kitty to develop infrastructure and services – water supply, sanitation and sewerage, urban transport and integrated slum development – in 63 cities.

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What is ‘good food’? Food that is free of contamination and adulteration, that is prepared in a way which does not harm the environment. Food that is wholesome, that does not compromise our health. The definition and understanding seems simple enough, but the issue is far more complex.